H1/25: Dassault delivers 7 Rafale fighters, €48B backlog

A French Marine Nationale Rafale Marine fighter coming in to land on the aircraft carrier Charles de Gaulle on March 24, 2023 | Photo: Dassault Aviation/C. Cosmao

French aerospace manufacturer announced on Tuesday it had delivered seven Rafale fighters in 2025 by the end of June and reported a record total order backlog of €48 billion, when it presented its half yearly financial report.

Of the seven aircraft, four were delivered to export customers and three were handed over the French Armée de l’Air. Dassault had delivered six Rafale fighters in H1 of 2024.

Dassault’s current order book shows a backlog of 239 Rafale aircraft with a total of 186 export orders, including its latest order for 26 aircraft from the Indian Navy, concluded in April this year.

The company quoted its Chairman and CEO, Éric Trappier, as saying, “The commercial success of the Rafale was strengthened with the signing and entry into force in the 1st half of India’s acquisition of 26 Rafale Marine to equip the Indian Navy. India will be the first user outside France of the Rafale Marine. Since the beginning of the program, 533 Rafale have been ordered, including 323 for export.”

The company said in its filing, ‘The Defence Export order intake totalled EUR 6,897 million (€6.897 billion) in the 1st half of 2025, compared with EUR 3,871 million (€3.871 billion) in the 1st half of 2024. Dassault Aviation has notably registered an order from India for 26 Rafale Marine.’

Trappier added in the financial release, “The backlog set a new record at June 30, 2025, at EUR 48.3 billion (including 314 aircraft: 186 Rafale Export, 53 Rafale France and 75 Falcon).”

The company said in its financial statement that it had set up the first final assembly line for the Falcon 2000 aircraft through the joint venture DRAL (Dassault Reliance Aerospace Limited) outside of France.

Dassault also listed its initiatives in India, including partnerships with Tata Advanced Systems ‘to manufacture Rafale fuselage sections, with the establishment of a dedicated production site in Hyderabad,’ Dynamatic, ‘to deliver Falcon 6X tanks,’ and Mahindra, ‘to supply Falcon 6X cockpit seats.’